Glimpses
by freakyhazeleyes
Summary: Extended Epilogue to my story Healing. Glimpses of the future for Edward and Bella. Fluff, All Human, rated M.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note: **Keep in mind that 'Healing' was my masterpiece; probably nothing else I write can compare, compete or measure up to it, in my opinion. So this is the beginning of my extended epilogue. The chapters will be longer, and full of glimpses, lots of glimpses, so please don't expect it to be as drawn out or detailed. I tried to make them as detailed as I could, but sometimes I just had to be straightforward with what I wanted to say.

Also, keep in mind that because Bella and Edward are no longer in the hospital, the overall mood is different. I want this to just be a light and fluffy continuation, absolutely zero drama if I can help it.

I tried to give off the impression that time is passing in between each little segment, but I'm not sure if it came off that way. So just know, time **is** passing.

This is not supposed to be serious at all.

I'm sorry too, to the people who felt I should have just left the ending as it was, but I _really_ wanted to write this.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Glimpses**

_**Age 18**_

Their first official date was about a week after school started. During the time between Bella's release and the first day of school, Edward's parents had taken it upon themselves to invite Bella and her father over for dinner at least a couple of times every week. Charlie didn't seem to mind one bit, having already fallen under the spell of Esme Cullen. He had even reconciled with Carlisle over their first disastrous meeting, both realizing that their children weren't even going to try and be without each other.

Carlisle's luxury top of the line fishing gear may have had something to do with their new friendship as well.

Esme loved Bella to pieces and had taken to telling her that every chance she got. Seeing the way her son looked at Bella during their dinners was a gift for her.

But Edward wanted to be alone with Bella. No parents, no friends, no talk of therapist's or the future.

Just Edward and Bella, like he had wanted and wished for, for months. He didn't want to take her anywhere too fancy because he knew how uncomfortable she got even just entering his home.

But what he did…Bella couldn't even dredge up the right words for what he did.

Stupid.

Impulsive.

Heartbreaking.

Beautiful.

Wonderful.

So fucking amazing that when Bella realized what he did she couldn't breathe properly.

A mountain. He had reserved a whole mountain for their first date. Well, only the large area that was already set aside for things like this, because Edward would not allow Bella to climb all of those boulders and rocks just to reach the top. And that was fine with her.

She didn't even bother worrying over how much he had spent setting this up for them because Edward would notice and then he would get mad and upset and she didn't want him to feel that.

There had been candles and lights and when the sun had gone down, the lights from the city below just added to overall ambiance.

And what was better for Bella is that she didn't have to dress up. Edward had told her very firmly that she didn't have to put on a show for him even though Alice had practically demanded Bella wear something better than just her normal clothes. He wanted her to be comfortable and be herself around him. Denim and all.

The look in Edward's eyes as they danced beneath the stars made her knees feel weak, the way his arms held her close to his body made hers almost sing with joy, and the words he spoke, blunt and real as they were, made her love him all the more.

"I say fuck a lot."

"I know."

"I hate that we don't go to the same school."

"I know."

"I _really_ don't like kissing you after you've eaten that yogurt shit."

She paused and frowned at that. "I'm...sorry?"

He laughed at her. "I'll just keep a pack of mints in my pocket."

They spun around gently for a couple more minutes in silence just listening to each other's breathing.

"I'm used to getting my own way." He said running his fingers lightly over the tee shirt covering her back.

"I know." Bella whispered back.

He frowned for a moment, his eyes becoming intense and looking like glowing emeralds. He looked like he was coming to some great realization; an epiphany of sorts.

"But for you," He whispered, running his index finger down her cheek and across her throat, "I'd fucking give you anything."

Her lips pulled back into a smile and her cheeks blushed in the light coming from twinkling strings above them and the candles placed around the perimeter of the area.

Bella got the feeling it was her turn to say a few things so she plunged right in.

"I'm always gonna be a cutter."

"I know."

"I miss you during the day."

"I know." He had this smug smile on his face but it didn't bother her.

"I stole your shirt."

Edward cocked his head to the side. "The one I left with you…or a different one?"

Bella ducked her head and let her hair fall forward as a curtain around her face so he wouldn't see her sheepish expression. "A different one. You know when I went to use your bathroom the other night, it was just lying on the floor and it smelled like you and it was black but I like you better in blue anyway and the one I already have was losing its smell so…" She trailed off all embarrassed when he started laughing at her.

"Closet klepto." But his voice was teasing and soft and he was smiling at her and she felt all warm inside.

She laid her head on his chest and they spun in circles some more before Edward lifted her face to his.

"I really love you." He breathed against her lips right before capturing them in a kiss.

"I love you too." She said back when they pulled away from each other.

o-0-o

It turned out that Bella really was a closet klepto. She returned the shirts that she took when they no longer smelled like him, but she always took another one in its place. She claimed that the scent of him always helped her sleep whenever he wasn't with her.

She got hold of his iPod and when he stole it back from her a couple of days later there were all of these whiny emo and indie songs taking up his very precious space. He told her he'd just erase them, but then she pouted. And that just about broke his heart.

So now it was Bella and Edward's iPod. He did like that. A lot.

She liked wearing his sweatshirts when she was at his house and lying on his favorite pillow. She took his books so she had a big pile of them in her room.

She left her chapstick on his bedside table and a pair of shoes by his door. He made sure the fridge in his kitchen was filled with some of her favorite foods.

They played little kid games whenever they weren't slaving over homework and they liked to take naps. Esme had caught them napping one too many times and now both of their rooms had pictures she had snapped of them wrapped around each other, Edward's face always buried in Bella's hair or the crook of her neck, Bella's arms always wound around his waist.

o-0-o

"Will you just fill the damn thing out already?"

Edward pushed a copy of the application for Dartmouth across the Swans' kitchen table but Bella just pushed it back. Again. She was getting tired of this same little argument they had on an almost daily basis. The date for applications was looming closer and closer and Edward kept pushing her and pushing her.

But Bella would not cave on this…yet. Edward was proving to be nothing but relentless on this issue. He had threatened Bella that he would learn how to forge her signature and just send in her application anyways. And Bella had foolishly called his bluff.

So he learned how to sign her name. In less than two days Edward had come to her with half a notepad full of his 'practice.' And what shocked Bella and also made her a little pissed was that he signed her name better than she did.

After that she just kept her mouth shut. She knew Edward would never go behind her back with this no matter how much he wanted to. But he knew she needed to be pushed with this otherwise she'd never do it by herself.

"No. You and I both know it's not possible." She grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and set about filling them with the appropriate ice and soda.

She handed one to him and then grabbed his hand and they walked up the stairs to her room, their conversation on hold for now.

Setting their glasses on the floor next to her bed, Edward flopped down onto her mattress and just took in the overwhelming scents of Bella. Strawberry, freesia, fabric softener, paper, old books, sunlight. Home.

Bella crawled in next to him and snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arms around her as they stared at her ceiling for a little while before talking about their days.

"I'm just so fucking tired all the time." Edward mumbled into the crook of her neck.

Her hands wound through his hair and he could feel the vibrations as she laughed quietly.

"You're kicking ass and taking names at school. Of course you're tired." She kissed his head and he held her tighter.

"Have you heard from Rosalie?" He asked, breathing hot air onto her skin.

"Yeah. She said Emmett and Jasper really like their classes. She sent me some pictures of what their apartment looks like. I guess her parents helped them afford it."

Edward hummed into her neck and she resumed stroking his hair and talking in low tones about her classes at her high school and the things that Alice talks to her about when she calls at exactly 7:00 every night and the questionable text messages she receives from Jasper during the day, only to find out that it's really Emmett who stole his phone.

They were all experiencing some amount of separation anxiety, having their group split on different sides of the country, but these little things, the texts, emails, pictures they sent each other, all helped lessen those blows.

And listening as she spoke and smelling her all around him, Edward fell asleep.

o-0-o

There were rules in Edward's car. They weren't strict but he expected them to be followed.

Bella always had dibs on the front passenger seat.

Bella was the only one allowed to cross her legs underneath her and risk ruining the leather interior.

Bella was the only one allowed to prop her feet up on the dash if she so desired.

If Bella wanted the volume up, it would go up. If she wanted it down, it would go down.

The one thing he requested, nay demanded, was that she have her seat belt on. He wouldn't even put the key in the ignition if she wasn't buckled in.

Slowly but surely, Edward's Volvo was becoming their Volvo. And that thought warmed him from the inside out.

He would pick her up in the mornings for school, but with the extra class he was taking, Bella had to either walk home or take the bus. He always reminded her every morning to keep her pepper spray in her pocket if she walked.

Edward always went to her house afterwards though and they would spread their homework out across the kitchen table and work.

Sometimes.

They were both pleasantly surprised to find they had wandering hands. Edward liked to be touching Bella anyways, but sometimes his fingers got a mind of their own and would travel up her jean covered legs to her waist. And Bella's would travel the length of his arm, over his neck to his hair.

And then they would rush up to her room, Bella would fling her window open so they could hear when Charlie pulled up and they would just lay on her bed or sometimes take the pillows down to her floor and just hold each other and kiss each other. Edward had been slightly worried and slightly turned on when he caught sight of a pretty big red and purple hickey he had given her, but she just laughed it off.

They were both horrified though when Alice snuck a picture of it and sent it off to Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper.

But most days they just sat and ate food and did their work.

They sometimes got into heated arguments whenever the material for their classes matched up.

But they wouldn't not talk about something.

Even if they ended up yelling or screaming at each other, they would get it out. Because drawing lines over what topics were acceptable in their relationship would only lead to them resenting each other. Not being able to express their opinions was a move neither of them could tolerate.

They expected the other to be able to say what they wanted to each other, the good and the bad.

o-0-o

Bella was sick. Not just coughing, sneezing, head hurts "I'm too dizzy to go to school" sick.

Fever, puking, aches and pains sick.

Charlie had stayed long enough to call her out of school and leave a glass of water, the bottle of Tylenol and bucket next to her bed before taking off for work.

Bella had dozed since then, the constant need to throw her covers off her body and then huddle underneath them again after a couple of minutes keeping her awake.

At mid morning she heard a rapping on her window, but she didn't think anything of it, chalking it up to be apart of her feverish dreams.

It seemed like hours later, when really it was only seconds, but the rapping got louder and she heard someone calling her name.

Her bleary eyes opened and she saw a shadow perched outside her window.

Throwing her covers off her sweaty body, she slowly stumbled her way over to the window and pulled up the blind. Edward was perched outside on a very unstable tree branch.

She tiredly unlatched the window and opened it, and then with Edward's help, they popped the screen out and let it drop to the ground two stories down. She held his hand as he climbed into her room.

"You should be at school right now." She said in low tired voice as she turned back to her bed.

"Fuck school." He said and she heard him removing his jacket and shoes. "Why didn't you call me?" He sounded sad and angry at the same time.

"The thought never really crossed my mind. But if it had, I wouldn't have wanted to bother you."

Her eyes felt heavy and she tripped over a shoe in the middle of her floor, but a pair of strong arms she knew very well caught her. She lay limp in his arms and she felt him press a gentle kiss to her throbbing forehead.

"Do you really think I'd miss out on this?" He said quietly into her hair as he began carrying her back to her bed.

"Miss out on me looking like shit?" Her eyes remained closed and she sighed when she felt her cool sheets beneath her body once again.

She heard Edward chuckle. "You don't look like shit. You smell a little ripe," she blindly swiped a hand at him and he chuckled again, "kidding. But I would never miss the chance of taking care of my girlfriend when she's sick."

Another content sigh came from Bella when he referred to her as his girlfriend. That term never ceased to give her a thrill, even on her death bed.

She heard the bottle of Tylenol rattle and the cap being popped off.

"When was the last time you took some of this?"

"Mmmm around 6 this morning? What time is it now?" She asked with a yawn, her legs restless and aching.

She heard him tsk and growl lowly under his breath, but Bella really couldn't care at the moment. "It's almost 11. You really should have taken more of this sooner."

She held out her hand and he dropped two tablets in her hand and she tossed them in her mouth and leaned over to drink from the glass of water he held for her.

She fell back onto her bed and a few seconds later Edward had crawled in beside her, pulling her back so she was against his chest.

He smoothed a hand over her hair and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "You should never worry about bothering me when you need me." Bella smiled. "Because, well, you're always a bother to me so I'm used to it by now." She elbowed him in the stomach. He chuckled. "You're lucky though that I happen to like it when you bother me."

And then he was humming softly into her ear, his soft warm breath on her cheek, lulling her to sleep.

o-0-o

Bella and Edward were lying together on her bed, just looking at each other. Their hands were clasped and their feet were overlapping on top of the covers.

Bella had had this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach for awhile. They had been stable in their relationship. Solid. Strong. More in love than either thought possible.

He let her get away with stupid shit because he loved her. She let him touch her as much as he wanted because she craved it and loved it. They argued and made up, went on dates and just hung out. Made fun of each other, laughed together and bought silly little presents for each other.

He had burned a pan of brownies he tried making for her and she'd choked them down with a smile. He had bought her the shampoo she likes and she'd bought him a new book full of blank sheet music.

They had marked a few anniversaries, four months, six months, which was a really big deal for the both of them.

But Bella was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She was waiting for her nightmare of turning into her mother to come true.

Edward just lay there patiently, knowing she needed the quiet to form her thoughts and words. He wasn't worried though. Whatever was bothering her, he would try his damndest to help fix it.

Bella looked at him with her big brown eyes and whispered, "What if I leave you?"

Edward smiled. "You're not your mother. You won't. Besides, I'm selfish enough to drag you right back." Then he winked at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Your confidence astounds me."

"I know I love you. I know you love me. That's the only thing I need to be confident about which I am."

"But what if I leave you?"

"Bella look at me." Her eyes rose to his face and he frowned at the tears he saw building. "If you keep worrying about this then eventually it'll happen. You'll just get sick of waiting for it to come so you'll go ahead and do it. Besides, I could be the one to leave you. Not saying I will, but it's a possibility on both sides."

The tears had started to fall and he swiped them away with his thumb. "I'm sure that at different points in this, one or both of us are going to want to leave. But what will really define the type of people we are is if we actually do leave when that happens. But Bella," he took her face in his hands, "I'm in this. Whether you're singing my praises one day or bitching at me the next, I'm in this."

Bella smiled at him. "I will bitch at you from time to time won't I?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

o-0-o

Edward was not happy when Bella only filled out three college applications.

They had filled them out together at her house in her kitchen, and his stack had been immeasurably thicker than hers. Of course the state schools would be cake for him, but his parents insisted he have all options open.

Bella however, was limiting herself in her choices: Arizona State, NAU, UofA.

When she had pulled out the folders he had glared at her and she shot him a warning glance.

"That's a fucking cop out and you know it." He said gesturing angrily to her three measly applications.

"It's not your decision to make." She said keeping her head lowered to the table.

"Fuck that. I want you to try – "

"I have been trying Edward. I have been trying to tell you that I know I can't do it and you just don't get it."

"Is this about the money? Because you know my dad has no problem – "

"It's not about the damned money Edward! God. Why do you keep pushing this?"

"Because I know you're better than this."

"What if I'm not?"

He just shook his head and grabbed his stuff, shoving all of it in his bag. Before he zipped it all the way up, he slammed a copy of the Dartmouth application on her table, placed a swift kiss on the top of her head and walked out of her house, mumbling an excuse about going to therapy.

She just sat there in the silence after he left, her shoulders slumped. She picked up the application and then tossed it further down the table with every intention of throwing it away.

She got up from the table and went to the fridge pulling out things to make for dinner.

Her eyes kept glancing over to the Dartmouth seal on the front cover of the folder and back to the salad she was making. When she was grilling the chicken she would stand there with a hand on her hip, her foot tapping against the floor, just staring at the folder.

Her eye twitched and she bit her lip, turning back to making dinner.

She tossed it onto the counter when she set the table and while she was putting the forks and knives in the correct places she remembered something Edward had said to her once.

"_But for you I'd fucking give you anything."_

And he had. Honestly, Edward had given her anything, everything.

His clothes, his smiles, his words, his music, his fears, his laugh, his car, his pillow, his kisses, his love.

And now she was acting like a scared little girl, running away when things started to change or get more intense.

And this was the one thing he wanted. The one thing he had asked for.

Her eyes fell closed and she sighed. After placing the food on the table, she took the application up to her room and placed it on her desk.

After eating she excused herself and went to her room, locking the door.

That night, Bella pulled an all nighter, answering the essay questions and filling in the questionnaire about her life. Then in the wee hours of the morning, she sealed it up and then filled out the transcript request form with the New Hampshire address.

The next morning when Edward came to pick her up, she placed the folder in his lap and felt a thrill when a slow smile spread across his face. His eyes got that spark that she loved and he turned to her about to say something but she stopped him.

"Just like you'd give me anything, I can try and give this to you."

o-0-o

"Rose, I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at." Bella said into the phone as she leant over the exposed engine of her truck.

"From the pictures you sent me it should be pretty easy to find the connecting wires."

Bella looked again and sighed in frustration. "I can't see anything except this big circle thing in the middle."

"Well, did you get the stuff on the list I sent you?"

"Umm," Bella looked at the bag on the ground next to her. "Sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"The parts you said I need are really…pricey. So…"

"So…what were you able to get?"

"Duct tape?"

"Bella! Duct tape is not going to save this truck!"

"I know, but it was the only thing I thought would work."

She heard Rosalie sigh and Emmett in the background asking what was going on.

"Don't tell him anything please!" Bella pleaded with her, but Rosalie was already explaining to duct tape thing and Emmett was laughing loudly in the background.

"I'm gonna have to call in reinforcements then."

That made Bella pause. "Who?"

"I'll have to call Edward. He'll buy whatever you need and you need it all if you insist on keeping that…_thing_."

Bella huffed and slammed the hood of her truck closed and walked back into her house.

"So how are things over there?"

She heard Rosalie moving around and the sound of a door closing. "Eh, you know, just trying to stay afloat. While Em and Jasper are in their classes I'm busting my ass behind the desk at the hotel down the street. But I'm getting a promotion which is really good. Jasper tries to help out as much as he can, but you know he and Alice are saving so she can come out here in the summer. And Emmett's just really busy with his business classes."

Bella plopped down on her couch. "I applied to Dartmouth." She heard Rosalie giggle quietly. "I don't think I'll get in though."

"Don't talk like that. Send out good energy and it'll come back to you. Hey, if you get in and you and Edward move out here, we'll only be about an hour away from each other."

"Yeah that would be nice."

"Do you know what you want to study when you get to Dartmouth?"

Bella rolled her eyes but didn't bother trying to correct her. "Probably English. Maybe journalism. I'm not too sure right now."

"That's okay. Edward's gonna do the doctor thing right?"

"Yeah." Bella's voice got warm and soft when talking about Edward and she practically gushed with pride for him. "He's really excited to be doing that."

She heard Rose hum lowly and could picture the arched eyebrow and smile on her face just from the sound. "You two practice his bedside manner yet?"

Bella felt her cheeks blush and she felt her stomach tighten at the thought of playing doctor with Edward.

"No. We're…taking things slow. _Really_ slow."

She heard Rosalie huff. "Look, I know I was against the sex in the hospital, but it's been what? Six months since you were let out? Come on…its way past your time."

"I know that. But Edward's just…protective I guess. He doesn't want to hurt me, but I keep telling him it's just the way it works and he's all 'I know that' and I'm all 'I don't think you do babe' and then he gives me the glare and just squeezes my hand."

Rosalie was laughing at her impression of Edward. "I can totally picture that in my head. Maybe you should just seduce him."

This time Bella laughed. "In case you've forgotten, I'm not the seductress. That's you."

"True. I'm the seductress, you're the blushing virgin, Alice is the pixie, Jasper's the vampire, Emmett…is well, Emmett and Edward's…hmmm. What is Edward?"

"Edward is…pretty perfect." Bella mused quietly into the phone.

"Your green eyed doctor sex machine…or at least he could be if you got a move on."

"I don't want to push him. He'll come to me when he's ready."

"Hell yeah he better come." A low voice said on the other end.

"Emmett! Get off the fucking phone!" Rosalie was yelling into the phone and Bella was laughing so hard as she held the phone away from her ear as Emmett tried to get Rosalie to let him listen in on their conversation, claiming they never talked to him anymore.

"I talk to you everyday Emmett." Bella said gently.

"Not about this stuff." He sounded like a sad little boy whose mother wouldn't let him buy a candy bar.

"You really want to engage in girl talk Emmett?"

"Well, if there's talk about sex…"

"Get off the phone Emmett!" Both Rosalie and Bella yelled.

o-0-o

Edward liked spending the night from time to time. They never did anything, he would always put a stop to it when Bella tried going further with him. He just liked holding her, their legs intertwined beneath the covers of her bed.

She always kept her door locked now at night and the screen of her window ended up in the trash permanently.

He would always call first before climbing the tree outside of her window. She was afraid that branch was going to snap one of these days, but it held strong. Edward liked to say that the branch knew how desperate he was to be with her and was doing him an immense favor.

Her window was always open for him now and she would always be in her pajamas when he came over.

She would click the light off and he would take off his jacket and shoes then get under the covers with her, pressing her against his body and kissing the hell out of her lips.

He would run his hands through her hair and kiss her cheeks and the expanse of her neck to her collar bones. She would be bold with him, trying to let him know through body language that she was ready to take it further, trying to _seduce _him. She would hitch a leg over his hip, put her hands up the back of his shirt, fucking whimper into his mouth, but still he held back.

And it was driving her half crazy with the need for him.

o-0-o

"You treat it as a fucking four way stop! Morons!"

Bella was clutching the bottom of the passenger seat and slouching her shoulders, trying to make herself invisible as Alice and Edward rolled their windows down and were yelling at the other incompetent drivers on the road.

The stop lights were blinking and when that happens, the drivers in Phoenix turn into chickens with their heads cut off.

"Alice, don't yell at the short bus."

"There's nobody on it. Plus the driver doesn't know what he's doing!" And then she leaned further out the window and yelled louder while Edward leaned his fist back and she bumped it with her tiny one.

"Just because I drive like I have a pulse…" Edward was yelling out the window, making Bella blush and lower herself further in her seat.

And so it went until they were at the front, all the while Edward was yelling at the other drivers when it was their turn. He practically floored it when it was his turn, shaking his head and huffing under his breath.

"That was fun." Alice exclaimed and Bella turned around to glare at her in the backseat.

They pulled up to Edward's house and walked inside going to the kitchen. Bella had gotten over how large his house was in comparison to hers a while ago, now only focusing on the pictures of him and his parents all over the place.

Edward picked up the mail and started flipping through it, separating his into a different pile.

"So your mom is pretty amazing, I hope you know that." Alice said perusing the items in his fridge.

"I do. But for what this time?" Edward asked not looking up from his mail.

"She got me an internship with one of her designer friends for next year. I can't wait. I'll be with Jasper again and learning the business. Wonderful times ahead."

Bella sat at the table and Alice tossed her a bottle of water while Edward brought his mail to the table.

Acceptance letters.

Bella smiled widely at him and ran a hand through his hair. He had already gotten the ones for state schools, those came sooner than the rest, but for the past few weeks others had been trickling in as well.

Edward was smiling crookedly at his acceptance letter into Dartmouth and he scooted closer to Bella at the table, completely tuning Alice out.

He gently tapped her nose with the corner of the paper. "Now all we have to do is wait for yours."

"My rejection letter should be in the mail soon." Bella smirked in agreement with him…sort of.

His eyes closed and his jaw clenched slightly. Bella reached up a hand and when he didn't turn away from her, she brushed her fingers over his face, enjoying the fact that her touch could make him relax slightly.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin this for you." She leaned her forehead against his and was overcome with his scent when he exhaled sharply into her face. "I am so proud of you." She whispered against his lips, lightly kissing him.

He pecked her lips back and then continued pecking her lips, his hands framing her face, their bodies shifting in their chairs moving closer together.

"Will you two just do it already?"

They reluctantly tore themselves apart and Edward turned to glare at Alice who was leaning against the counter flipping through one of Esme's Better Homes and Gardens magazines.

He narrowed his left eye at her and opened his mouth but nothing came out at first.

"Did Emmett recruit you?" He asked her suspiciously.

"Yep." She answered back not looking up.

"Recruit for what?" Bella asked looking between the two of them.

"Nothing." He said, picking up her hand and kissing her knuckles, his cheeks looking a little pink.

But Bella knew it wasn't just nothing.

Especially if it got Edward's cheeks pink.

o-0-o

"Would you stop eating all of the cookie dough chunks? You're killing me with that shit."

Bella laughed quietly as their spoons dueled with each other, trying to get the coveted piece of cookie dough at the bottom of the carton they were eating out of.

She won of course. He always let her win, but Bella held out her spoon for him and with a smile, Edward ate the cookie dough and ice cream from her spoon.

They turned to the direction of the door when it opened, not moving from their spot on the living room floor.

Charlie came in a few seconds later and tossed an envelope into Bella's lap.

The return address was from Dartmouth.

"I didn't know you were interested in the Ivy Leagues kid." Charlie looked a little nervous and cautious as Bella picked up the envelope.

"It was an impulse dad." She could practically feel Edward rolling his eyes next to her.

She stood from the floor and made her way to her room; she wanted to read her rejection and come to the realization that her dream was crushed on her own. Not with her dad and Edward present.

Especially not Edward.

This was his dream too. And she felt like such a failure knowing she couldn't give it to him.

Closing her door behind her, she closed her eyes and sighed as she tore the envelope open. Bringing the folded letter out and opening it her eyes scanned over the salutation and the first sentence.

And then they scanned the first sentence again.

And again.

And then once more for good measure and because she was still not believing what she was seeing.

She was accepted. Into Dartmouth. Into Edward's dream school. Into Edward's world.

For some reason, Bella felt this was more than just a college acceptance letter. Even though she knew she belonged with him, she felt that this was the universe finally approving it.

She belonged with him.

They could have their future together.

She would have her dream with his and they would mix and blend together so _they_ could be together.

And then she bolted for the door and was running and tripping down the stairs and her dad was yelling from the kitchen to not run in the house, but she threw herself into Edward's arms and thank god the couch was behind them so they had something soft to land on and she shoved the letter into his face and he said 'I told you so.' But Bella just kissed him to shut him up about that and then they were laughing into each other's mouths, their arms wrapped tight around each other.

And Charlie stood in the doorway, his arms crossed, looking on with a small smile, then shook his head and went back to the kitchen to call Esme and take her up on that celebratory dinner she had been planning for their kids.

o-0-o

"Why can't you just tell me? I mean it's my application."

Bella was trying to get to the bottom of who had put in a recommendation for her. After coming down from the high of being accepted, she had actually read through the letter, going past the first sentence.

It had said that partly based on the sterling recommendation they received along with her performance in school she would make a wonderful addition to the Dartmouth student population.

In other words Edward went behind her back.

And she'd cornered him. Angrily. He had promised that he wouldn't put his dad up to it, but who else would have written her a recommendation?

"_Back the fuck off. I didn't do it." He playfully scowled at her and took up her letter again. "But I should have." She heard him mutter, before she swiped the letter back._

And now Bella was on the phone with some pompous ass, Mark, from admissions. He was acting like a pansy, going back and forth, saying that he _could _tell her who had recommended her but he really _shouldn't _tell her.

It was really pissing her off.

"I just need the damn name. That's it."

And she swore if it ended with Cullen she wouldn't talk to Edward for a week. Scratch that, a day. Awe hell, give it an hour and she'd let him back in her room so they could bitch at each other and then snuggle and sleep.

"Weeeeeeeeellllllllllllllll," And she heard the clicking of the mouse and he sucked in a big dramatic breath and Bella rolled her eyes as she paced the length of her room.

"You sure you just need the name?"

"For the thousandth time, yes."

"Okay okay. All I've got is a signed letter of recommendation under the name M. N. Thatcher, M.D. The credentials checked out so we know it's legitimate."

Bella was frozen where she stood in the middle of her room.

"Thatcher?"

"Uhh, yeah. Thatcher. Huh. I just noticed that we received the letter a couple of weeks before we received your application. They must have gotten separated in the mail…"

But Bella had hung up after that.

She tossed her phone onto her bed and just stood there. And then she was laughing. Oh, Marcy. Always pulling the strings.

She sighed, smiled and shook her head, then grabbed her phone again and sent Edward a text.

She wanted to snuggle now.

o-0-o

"I've told you time and time again, I don't care about the fucking prom." She said leaning her head on his shoulder. They were in the back row of a movie theatre at a show that was in its last week. They were completely alone.

"I know you don't. I do." Edward said munching on some snow caps.

Bella sighed. "Well, where's your school having it?"

"The Point Hilton."

Of course. Why not?

"Yours?"

"West World."

Edward turned to look at her, his eyes glittering. "Well that's not bad. I'd actually prefer that to The Point."

She arched a brow at him, reaching over and stealing some snow caps.

"I'll pay for the tickets and Alice can help pick out a dress for you." He crooned into her ear making her shiver and blush and lean into him more.

"I really want to see you all dressed up and have our parents take pictures of us. I could get you one of those cheesy flower things to match your dress and if I can put in the request now, I'd really like for your hair to be done up so I can kiss your neck…"

And Bella turned her head and captured his smiling lips. They forgot all about the movie and the snowcaps.

o-0-o

Alice had taken her shopping and helped pick out a dress, sending a picture text message to Rosalie for approval. Charlie had given Bella enough money to purchase it, but she still felt guilty.

And then two weeks later, she was sitting in one of the large guest rooms at Edward's house, their parents eating a big meal cooked by Esme, Edward getting ready down the hall, and Alice fixing her hair.

She had turned the wide screen computer on and the webcam attachment and then there Rosalie was in front of them, clapping her hands and smiling wide. Emmett and Jasper briefly came in behind her and said a quick hello, and then it was just the three of them.

As Alice played with her hair, twisting and turning it around and up, Rosalie gave instructions and approvals and talked to Bella about how she should dance; the things she should say.

Finally her hair was done, molded on top of her head so that if there was a strong wind that night, her hair would remain in tact.

She changed into her dress, after Alice squeezed her breasts into a push up bra, giving her ample cleavage and making her blush tomato red as Rosalie complimented her new bust.

The dress was silk and a deep purple color. It went all the way to the floor and was sleeveless, the straps made out of a sheer material, exposing her collar bones.

Because it was silk and clung to her body, she had to go commando. Fuck.

Alice placed sheer powder over her arms where the faded scars were and she placed the compact in her little clutch just in case she needed it later.

And then Alice was doing her makeup and Rosalie wanted in on that action too, so they pulled it all out in front of the computer.

And then Alice held up the shoes. And her face fell.

Rosalie was already laughing at her and she hadn't even said a word.

"No."

"Yes." They both said at the same time.

And then Alice was helping put the shoes on her feet. They were black and satiny and stilettos. There were ribbons on each that were tied up her legs into bows at the back.

She tried standing and almost toppled over.

Alice's brow furrowed. "Maybe you should take a pair of flip flops…just in case."

Bella couldn't have been happier she said that.

And then Rosalie was wishing her luck and Bella didn't know why. It was just a prom.

She was walking down the hall, with Alice behind her, and her shoes were clacking against the floor and she was getting more and more nervous with every step.

What if she didn't look the way Edward wanted her too? What if she ordered the wrong thing at the restaurant he insisted on taking her to? What if his parents realized she wasn't the right one for their son?

What if she tripped down the stairs?

But then Alice skipped down the stairs ahead of her and made an announcement to the parents and ordered for Edward to come stand at the foot of the steps to get 'the full effect.'

And then Alice was calling her and she made her way slowly down the stairs. Butterflies were still in her stomach and her palms got sweaty and she felt the sweat trickle down the back of her neck.

And as she came into view she had the immense pleasure of seeing Edward's eyes widen and his mouth drop open slightly and then he caught hold of himself.

He shook himself, physically so she could see. And she smiled at him.

She vaguely heard Esme in the background exclaiming how beautiful she looked and Charlie saying she cleaned up good, but her attention was with Edward, who was now clutching the plastic box holding her cheesy flower in a vice grip.

As she continued down the steps, her eyes travelled down his body and she had to stifle her gasp. He really did wonders for the world of tuxes. His body filled it out nicely and his hair was messily styled, a lock of copper colored hair brushing his forehead that called to her fingers.

When she reached the bottom, Edward stepped forward and popped open the box as his mother took a picture. The flash momentarily blinded them and his fingers slipped over the flower, shakily putting it on her wrist.

She smiled at him as he leaned forward to whisper, "Thanks for leaving the neck bare."

And then he placed a kiss on her burning cheek, wrapping an arm around her waist and bringing her forward for more pictures that she was too stunned to do anything but stand and smile for.

The next thing she knew, he was leading her out to the Volvo, holding onto her body so she wouldn't trip. He opened the door for her and when she was inside, he went to his side and they drove away.

The silence in the car was filled with an electrical current. She really wanted him to just pull the car over so they could greet each other properly.

The next thing she knew they were on the side of the road.

She looked over at Edward who was smirking at her. "You really should check the filter between your head and your mouth." And then he was leaning towards her, his hand reaching for her cheek and he was kissing her.

And her whole body felt like it was on fire, her mouth was tingling and she was cursing Alice for not making her wear underwear. Her thighs were trying to inconspicuously rub against the other and her hands went to his hair as she tried scooting over in her seat.

His mouth travelled over her cheek and across the surface of her neck in open mouthed kisses up to the hollow behind her ear. He nibbled on her ear lobe, making her gasp, and then he chuckled into her ear.

"We should probably get going." Bella gave an involuntarily high whimper at that which made him chuckle even more.

He placed a kiss on her forehead and began driving once again.

o-0-o

Dinner was actually very comfortable for Bella. They had been seated out on the terrace and there had been about five feet between them and the other tables.

Their conversation diminished all of Bella's worries about ordering the wrong thing or acting the wrong way because when Edward held her hand from across the table they were just them.

Just Edward and Bella.

Take away the dress, hair and makeup; take away the hair gel and tux.

When they arrived at the appointed place for Bella's prom, Edward immediately swept her onto the dance floor. He didn't seem to mind that he knew absolutely no one in the entire place or that people were whispering about them.

The kids Bella went to school with tended to stay away from her, knowing exactly why she had been taken out of school a month into the second semester the previous year.

And that with the fact that she was dating a boy from a mental hospital made them all keep away from her even more.

This was just fine with them. No one came over to them or annoyed them with inane chatter.

It was just the two of them, the way they wanted it.

Edward guided them across the dance floor during the slow songs and held her hips close to his during the faster ones. He whispered the lyrics to most of the dirty songs in her ear, making her shiver for him.

After hours of dancing, the prom finally came to an end at midnight.

Edward placed his tux jacket over Bella's shoulders and she took of her shoes as they walked to the car. She grabbed hold of his hand and lifted his arm high above them before twirling herself into his body, laying her head on his shoulder.

They drove in easy comfortable silence back to Bella's house. Bella sat on her side, her legs curled under her, facing Edward the whole way and he held her hand keeping a soft smile on his face.

When they pulled up and Charlie's car wasn't in the driveway, they stared at each other; both had the same question in their eyes.

They walked into her house in silence and up the stairs holding hands. Bella was nervous now. So very nervous. She heard Edward shut the door to her bedroom behind them and she gently laid his jacket over the back of her desk chair.

She tossed her shoes into her closet and he took his own shoes off.

Okay. This was okay. This was normal. They were just getting ready for bed. Like any other night, Bella would just concentrate on getting ready for bed.

She went to her mirror and picked up her brush, removing the pins from her hair and letting the brown locks fall to her shoulders and she began brushing through them.

She felt Edward come up behind her and he gently took the brush from her hands and started where she left off, his other hand brushing the back of her neck.

She watched him with wide eyes in the mirror as he concentrated on brushing her hair.

He had untied his bowtie and the first couple of buttons of his white shirt were undone. The cuffs were also rolled up now and his hair was messy, like he had tore his hands through it in…frustration? Anticipation?

He brushed through the tangles of her hair gently and when his soft fingers brushed the exposed skin of her neck, she knew he would be just as gentle with the rest of her. And she was aching for him.

Then the brush was placed back on her dresser and he wrapped his arms around her looking into her eyes from the mirror's reflection.

His chin rested on her shoulder and his fingers drew over her collar bones lightly.

"I love you." He said, turning his head and placing a kiss on her temple.

She smiled at him. Then she took hold of one of his hands and brought it to the shoulder strap of her dress, silently giving him permission to keep going.

"Show me." She whispered to him.

o-0-o

The next morning Bella awoke to Edward wrapped around her protectively. Naked. She smiled softly and brought her hand to his face and brushed the hair out of his face.

She was sore; she didn't expect to come out of it perfectly fine.

What she didn't expect though was how overwhelmed she became.

She didn't expect her body to become hyper aware of ever move he made, whether it was the slightest brush of his finger tip across her cheek or the way their hips moved together creating a blinding friction that drove her crazy.

She didn't expect Edward to whisper over and over again how much he loves her and how sorry he is to be hurting her.

She didn't expect him to cup her face and tell her how amazing she is and kiss her so hard that she feared her entire body would melt.

She didn't think her heart capable of falling even more in love with him, but as he moved gently inside of her, she couldn't really help herself out of that one.

She didn't expect to miss him when he pulled away from her. When he left her body…she felt a different kind of ache and she wanted to pull him back and tell him to never leave again. But he gathered her up in his arms and held her tightly, throwing the covers over their bodies.

And he held her as they slept, not letting her restless sleeping tendencies push them apart.

And there Bella lay, stroking his hair and lightly running her legs over his, breathing him in as he slept, and watching as the sun filled the room.

She didn't care if Charlie was home and seething in the kitchen because Edward's Volvo was still out front.

The only person who had her full attention was Edward, who had never looked so peaceful in his sleep before.

o-0-o

Graduation came and went. It was pretty uneventful, she threw her uncomfortably suffocating gown over a light dress and kept her hair down, though that was a mistake because it ended up plastered to her neck.

She sat on the football field of her school, listening to the speeches about moving forward and not being afraid of making choices and blah blah blah. She just wanted to get her diploma and go to Edward.

She walked across the stage and shook hands with some administrator of the district and then back to her seat.

She didn't throw her cap, just walked right back to where she knew her dad was sitting, hugged him and then they drove away.

They went to the Cullen's after picking up Alice. Edward and his parents were already there toasting to his graduation.

The noise level increased when Charlie, Bella and Alice walked in and Carlisle took both of their diplomas and placed them on the table next to Edward's.

Alice took a ton of pictures with her cell phone and sent them off to Jasper who would show them to Rosalie and Emmett, and then she was on the phone with him, going over the details of the upcoming move and gushing about how excited she was to see their place and see him again and be able to sleep in the same bed…

Edward and Bella excused themselves when she started talking like that and went out to his backyard and to the large hammock that was hung in between two trees.

They lay quietly on the hammock looking at the stars, holding hands.

"Are you starting to pack? We're leaving next week." He asked quietly.

She squeezed his hand and smiled over at him. "Yeah, I started packing yesterday. And I mailed in my class schedule last week and I checked that it was approved online and my tuition is all taken care of and our apartment is going to be great. You need to stop worrying."

He smiled at her and shrugged. "I can't help it. It's just…it's finally happening. We're getting out of here."

She knew how excited he was to finally be on his own.

But he wouldn't be on his own. She would be there and that made it infinitely better.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm stopping now, because my eyes are starting to bug out on me.

Prom night sex…cliché, but I couldn't figure anything else out. And I wasn't too explicit with the details because I haven't written something like that for awhile.

Fuck this is long. 26 pages, over 9,000 words. I didn't realize what a huge undertaking this is, trying to fit glimpses of a whole year into one chapter. I write in fragments if you hadn't noticed. Sorry about that.

So if you read all of this, congratulations. The next chapters will hopefully not be as long, unless you all like the length.

Songs for this chapter: Fascinations by Alphabeat (love), Poker Face by Lady Gaga (yum), Hot 'N Cold by Katy Perry (probably the only song of hers I like), Teen Angst by M83 (electronic…mmmm), and Over and Over Again(Lost & Found) by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (it's fun to swing your feet to).

Oh yeah. Review!


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: **First off, thank you all so much for the response to the first chapter. I was blown away by the number of reviews it received, so thank you all so much!

I really have no excuse for not having updated this sooner. I did sit down quite a bit to continue writing this in the past however many weeks it's been, but it wasn't coming out. These versions of Bella and Edward kept quiet every single time I tried to continue. They kept telling me they wanted to be left alone and wouldn't give me anything to work with.

I did contemplate just leaving the story as it was in the previous chapter, but there was no sense of closure for me. I read over 'Healing' again and realized there was something kind of important left unanswered, so I decided to address that in this last part.

I had every intention of continuing right where I left off, but I've always told myself that when a story is done, it's done. I wouldn't try and draw it out and have it be unnecessarily long.

But I felt I owed you guys one more look at their lives before I put this story line to rest. I hope you enjoy it and I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you.

* * *

**Epilogue to the Epilogue**

_Six years later…_

Closing the door to her apartment and locking it, Cassandra Hayes pumped her legs up and down one at a time, trying to loosen the muscles of her legs before beginning her daily morning jog. The Arizona sun had just made its way into the sky, peeking over the mountains in the distance, painting the landscape orange, yellow and red. Adjusting the navy blue jacket she was wearing over a plain white tee shirt and black sweat pants, Cassandra walked swiftly down the creaking steps of the apartment complex, clicking the 'Play' button of her iPod, the sounds of The Dandy Warhols making their way into her ears.

Her feet planting on the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of the crisp morning air before transitioning into a light jog. She felt the adrenaline start to build and by the time she was halfway down the block, she was in her rhythm.

Her eyes forward, she saw out of the corners some blinds being pulled up or pairs of shades being drawn. She more felt than saw the eyes of her not so friendly neighbors watching her. Honestly, you'd think they'd be tired of watching her every morning as she began her jog for the day, but then again, she really couldn't blame them for wanting to watch out for someone like her.

Someone who had been to prison. Someone who was finally on parole.

And just like every morning, to shake the hostile stares she was receiving from her neighbors behind their closed doors, Cassandra allowed her mind to travel through her memories. It had been ten years since she'd been labeled for what she was and every single day of those ten years she remembered what she'd done.

At least this way, her runs went by more smoothly. The constant movement distracted her from her regular feelings of remorse and guilt. She had the rest of the day to feel guilty; the morning runs were a nice respite from all of it.

Turning the corner and heading onto a familiar street, images and flashes of memory passed through her head, each one almost exhausting in its familiarity.

The saddened pair of green eyes she had looked into before she had been taken away to the prison. The grey cot that was hers to sleep on. The pieces of blond hair, her hair, that had been maliciously cut off during her "initiation" her first night there. The slaps and punches she had received for "having the balls to fuck a child." Her fellow inmates hadn't taken to kindly to what she'd been put there for. Food being stolen from her tray and not being able to fight back when cornered on the rare times she'd been allowed outside. That was her life the first two years she'd been in there. And then she'd become one of the ring leaders.

The air pumped in and out of her lungs as she picked up the pace, running across the street.

Of course she'd thought about Edward. He was the one constant memory she replayed over and over again every single day for ten years. She had been put into a rehabilitation program while in prison and with the help of her counselor, she truly realized the full extent of her actions. She had herself convinced that she was in love with Edward when really that was not the case at all. She'd been fascinated by him and that therein was the problem.

She hadn't contacted him or his family. No one told her outright, but she was pretty sure it was against the law to contact your victim and after thinking and thinking about it, she realized that their wounds had probably closed and healed a long time ago, and any letter they may receive from her, however profusely she would apologize for what she did to Edward, she would never be forgiven. And whatever peace he and his family had garnered over the past ten years, she owed it to them to keep to herself and do her part to fade away from their lives.

Originally, she'd been given a sentence of twelve years, but they'd graciously let her out after ten. They offered her a deal of Intensive Probation, in which she had to attend regular counseling sessions, no alcohol consumption; she had to meet a number of Community Service hours every week, attend job training which she hated, and she was placed under a modified form of house arrest in which she had a certain number of hours she could be on the outside world every week. Most of them spent in her community service, leaving little time for things such as grocery shopping, and her morning run.

Cassandra felt the hair of her ponytail whip against her face and she felt the heat of the sun as it rose higher in the sky. There were more cars out on the roads now, people heading off to work, going to school, or wherever else there was to go.

Realizing she had only a few more blocks until her destination, she picked up her pace. She loved the rush of endorphins her running brought her and her mind always felt clear afterward.

Entering the little strip mall, Cassandra slowed her pace back into a jog and made her way past all of the little shops and across the parking lot to the Starbucks branch she regularly stopped at.

Entering, the smells of espresso and mocha filled her nose and she went to the counter, putting in her order and picking up the daily edition of the Arizona Republic. Grabbing her latte from the end of the counter, she made her way back to the secluded corner of the little store and sat down at a table, flipping through the paper and sipping her drink.

Hearing the door open and numerous, happy excited voices enter the store, she briefly glanced up and then back down to the article she had been reading. But her eyes didn't continue reading. In fact, she was now frozen where she sat.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly lifted her eyes back up to the people who had just come into the Starbucks who were now at the counter looking at the menu, trying to decide what to order.

Two out of the four she didn't recognize. One, a tall blond man, his arm around the waist of the tiniest woman she'd ever seen with chin length black hair. Cassandra's eyes flitted over them briefly before dismissing them to look at the couple currently perusing the food items in the case next to the counter.

She would recognize the couple from the wedding announcement she'd seen in the paper a few weeks ago, but she'd know the bronze haired boy, man now, anywhere. Even from the profile she was seeing, she could tell his green eyes were just as vivid as the last time she'd seen them. But now, they burned with life and happiness. Turning her gaze to the brunette next to him, she got an inkling as to why that was.

She'd been surprised to see almost a full page wedding announcement in the Republic for Edward Cullen and his bride to be, Isabella Swan. Surprised, yet incredibly relieved. She'd heard the statistics; they'd been drilled into her in her counseling in prison. People, who have been abused in the past, might have abusive tendencies later on in life. And she felt so much relief reading that article and looking at Edward and Isabella's smiling faces in the photograph attached. And in a way, knowing that he had been able to move on and have a full life had given her the closure she never knew she'd needed.

Watching Edward place his hand on the small of his fiancée's back and remain close to her as they waited on their drinks and talk with their two friends was a sight to behold. They looked comfortable and happy together. In love. Which was what she had wished for him.

Feeling more like an intruder as she watched the four of them interact, Cassandra Hayes went back to her paper and latte, trying once again to fade into the background and not interfere on his life anymore.

o-0-o

Edward watched as Alice stuffed the little food bags from Starbucks in her huge purse as they waited on their drinks.

"You sure we shouldn't get anything for Rose and Emmett?" Jasper asked, watching Alice push things around in that bag of hers.

Bella smiled and chuckled. "Rose said she wants to at least be able to fit into her bridesmaid dress once this week and made it clear that if she can't eat a donut from Starbucks, neither can Emmett."

Jasper looked at Alice worriedly. "You're not gonna act like that when you're pregnant will you?"

Alice's tinkling laughter filled their little circle and she looked up at Jasper with a wink. "As long as no one's getting married when that happens, you can feel free to eat as many donuts as you want."

"Well," Bella looked over at Edward who had reached over and taken her left hand, placing a kiss over her ring finger, "we are the last ones out of the six of us taking the plunge. Unless you guys are cheating on us with another couple." He looked affronted at that thought and Bella laughed.

"Oh Edward," Alice rolled her eyes, "you know you, Bella, Rose and Emmett are the only ones for us."

Jasper picked up a coffee cup from the shelf and scanned the price before setting it back down. "How are the wedding plans coming anyway? You only have a few weeks left…" He trailed off when Edward and Bella let out a simultaneous groan.

"His mother…" Bella began, rolling her eyes.

"My mother is going way overboard. With that announcement in the paper to the hall she booked." He shook his head and grabbed Bella's coffee when it was announced at the end of the counter. "She keeps saying I proposed wrong, so she has to make the wedding right."

"How can you propose wrong?" Alice asked, stirring the foam of her drink in with the rest of the liquid.

"That's what I want to know. I got the ring, I took her to dinner, forgot the ring in my bedside table like the idiot I am-"

"You were tired." Bella piped in, rubbing his back.

"So I did an early morning proposal the next day." Edward shrugged. "I thought waking up to a diamond being placed on your finger would be nice."

"It was." Bella reassured him. "Your mom is just…old fashioned. But you were so cute, kneeling in front of me, fumbling with the box-"

"I didn't fumble." He mock frowned at her and she smiled at him and cupped his cheek.

"You did. It was nice to see you nervous." Edward smiled back and turned his head to kiss her palm.

Bella turned back to Jasper and Alice. "Thanks again for coming all the way back here for the wedding. I think Esme would have had a heart attack if we'd had the wedding in New Hampshire."

Alice arched a brow at her. "You think I'd let Rose take over Maid of Honor? You were hers, she was mine and now I'm yours. It's all a circle." She drew a circle in the air with her index finger.

Jasper shook his head and placed an arm on top of Alice's head, which she ducked under and linked their fingers. They began to make their way to the door but Bella turned back, saying they needed napkins. Alice waited at the door while Edward and Jasper headed to the car.

Grabbing a few of the brown napkins, Bella looked up and her eyes met the startling grey depths of a blond woman sitting at the back of the store at a table. The woman held Bella's gaze for a long moment and Bella got the impression that she was searching for something. But then the woman smiled softly and nodded her head infinitesimally.

Bella hesitantly smiled back and turned when she heard Alice call her name. Alice was waving her back to the door and when Bella reached her, they linked arms and walked to the car.

o-0-o

Alice was going to kill her. It was six in the morning on the day of her wedding and what was Bella doing? Traipsing around in the old cemetery just off the freeway looking for the grave she hadn't visited since she was seventeen. The built up anger she'd suppressed since learning of her mother's affair all those years ago had kept her from visiting.

But it was time to let go. It was a few hours before she was to walk down the aisle, a few hours before the start of her new life with Edward and she didn't want any lingering side affects from that dark time of her past. Yes, it would always be with them, it had brought them together, but today was about starting new with the man she loved.

Coming to a stop in front of her mother's grave, Bella sat on the damp grass and placed the small bouquet of flowers next to the headstone, reading over the engraved words.

_Loving Wife and Mother_

Before, those words would have made Bella either scoff or laugh hysterically, but now all they brought was a sense of loss and sadness. Which felt right for this little visit. Bella finally felt like she was mourning her mother.

Bella leaned back and propped her hands on the ground behind her, her legs crossed in front of her.

"I went to college." She began in a soft voice. "English Lit. major. I have a job in a publishing house up in New Hampshire as a junior editor."

She didn't feel foolish like she had expected to when talking to a grave.

"Charlie and I are fine. We managed fairly well since…well, you know. He mainly fills his days with work and takes trips up the lake or the shooting range with his friends."

She paused then, not knowing if she should continue. Even though she believed her mother was watching everything as it was happening now, she still felt self conscious in revealing this detail about her life.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged on ahead. "I went to therapy for about eight months. And it was because of you. I never thought I would hate you, but during that time, I did. I hated you for what you did to us. For what you did to me. How you messed me up with your unhappiness." Bella sighed, her eyes looking heavenward. "But I know that none of that was my fault. None of it was Charlie's fault either."

She realized her voice had risen slightly and looked around to make sure no one was around.

She rubbed her forehead tiredly. This was not how she had pictured visiting Renee's grave. She didn't want to yell or get angry or sad. She came there with a purpose and she put her mind back to her original purpose.

"I'm getting married today. His name is Edward and I actually met him in therapy. That's what he wanted to put on our wedding invitations: _A Match Made in Therapy. _His mom wasn't impressed." She giggled quietly remembering the look on Esme's face. She sobered, looking at her mother's name etched into the stone. "I think you'd really like him. He's in his residency right now and I'm so proud of him. If you'd met him when I did, you'd know just how far he's come." She paused, smiling as Edward's face flashed across her mind. "Charlie likes him, which took awhile. But Charlie knows I love him and that we can take care of each other. I want to take care of him." She looked at the headstone and pictured Renee's face. "You can be proud of me. I'm not settling."

And then Bella was quiet, just sitting in the cool shade of that corner of the cemetery, ignoring the vibrating of her cell phone in her pocket. She watched the sun start to rise and just breathed in the morning air, relishing this quiet time spent with her mother.

o-0-o

The wedding had gone by smoothly. Bella felt a little hypocritical wearing white down the aisle since she was anything but the blushing virgin bride, but the second she saw Edward waiting for her, all of that went away. She didn't feel the grip Charlie had on her arm, trying to ensure she wouldn't fall, the tears she was sure Esme had in her eyes, or the proud gleam in Carlisle's that just always seemed to be present now.

It was like she was looking down on herself and Edward as they said forever to what lies ahead. Present in her body, yet not at the same time. It seemed like Edward's hands holding hers and his green eyes locked with hers were the only things anchoring her to the ground.

And then they were slipping the matching white gold bands on each others fingers and his lips were pressing against hers. They were oblivious to the clapping and the announcement that they were husband and wife.

Everything faded to the background until they backed away from each other, whispering 'I love you' and then being enveloped in hugs from their family.

o-0-o

_One week later…_

Bella held onto the box as she followed Alice up the stairs to her and Edward's new apartment closer to the hospital Edward was doing his residency at as well as closer to Emmett and Rosalie.

Entering the open door, she saw Jasper fumbling with the three boxes he held and Edward yelling for him to be careful, for those boxes held Bella's books.

Rosalie had taken up residence on their couch, directing everyone on where to put their boxes, her swollen feet propped up on the table, a bowl of fruit in her hands. Every time Emmett passed her on the couch, he would bend down and kiss The Bump as they'd taken to calling it.

She passed Edward on the way to their bedroom and he followed, all the while grumbling that they could have taken an extra week on their honeymoon and let the four others take care of setting up their apartment.

Bella just smiled and set the box by their closet, taking Edward's hand and going back out to their living room. Alice had placed a box full of their picture frames by the fireplace and Bella began taking the frames out of their paper and placing them on the mantel.

She listened with one ear as the five others began arguing over what kind of pizza they would order, Edward claiming since it was his place, he should be the deciding person. Jasper offered to pay, only if he could choose and Alice seconded that. Rosalie yelled from the couch that it had to be pineapple and Bella smiled, hearing a thud on the counter that could only be Edward banging his head.

She continued placing their memories on the mantel. A picture of all six of them when they had been reunited before college started; Bella in Edward's lap, Rosalie sitting next to Emmett and Jasper on her other side, Alice behind him, her arms around his neck.

And then another picture of the six of them. This one more recent from Bella and Edward's wedding. Esme had taken it, and no one had really been aware she had been taking a picture of them.

They had been sitting at their table at the reception, Rosalie's feet in Emmett's lap, her head leaning against the back of her chair. Alice was sitting in Jasper's lap, their heads bent together, the smiles lighting up their faces. And she and Edward were in the middle of the table, their linked fingers placed on top of the white tablecloth. They weren't facing the camera, and she was only seeing the mixture of bronze and brown hair as they watched the lights play throughout the room and the people dancing to the music playing. But it was one of her favorites.

"Why is it so hard for you to put pineapple and anchovies on a pizza for the pregnant lady?" Rosalie asked all affronted.

"Oh, gross Rosalie. Edward just get a vegetarian; that'll make everyone happy." Alice contributed from her spot on a stool around the counter.

"Speak for yourself," Emmett started. "Pizza isn't pizza without toppings on it."

Bella turned around and watched as everyone continued to argue. She smiled as she saw Edward had already dialed and was plugging his free ear and she knew he was ordering one of something everyone wanted.

Their eyes met across the room and he smiled at her and shrugged.

She walked over the couch and plopped down next to Rosalie and jumped right in to the conversation. Lively debates, even over the stupidest topics, was their thing. Perhaps it was the daily group therapy they'd endured as teenagers, but they couldn't just go without it now.

She watched as Jasper gravitated towards Alice by the counter and Emmett came to sit next to Rosalie's legs, rubbing one of her calves. She felt Edward sit down next to her and begin playing with her hair as they began discussing the fundamentals of pizza.

And Bella would be content if all of her days were spent like this.

Just like this, with her family.

**Fin

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**Author's Note: **Again, I'm sorry if it wasn't what you wanted or expected it to be, but I feel like it's finally done. I'm worried how this will be received so please leave a review and let me know what you thought of it.

Songs: Sleep by The Dandy Warhols, The Wake Up Song by The Submarines, Ottoman by Vampire Weekend, A Shot to the Stars by Whitley, and Let The Distance Keep Us Together by Bright Eyes, Spoon, and Britt Daniel.


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